[Parm]

KIA India should bring their heavy weights PICANTO & RIO (Sedan & Hatch) to take on the Maruti and Hyundai.

CERATO could be launched as phase 2 of KIA.

They should start with these affordable vehicles which appeal to the large middle class of India.

Small is the BIG in India and KIA should exploit this small segment at the earliest.

Drive Safe.

[indusboy]

https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/03/ki...iles-of-range/

"The production version of the all-electric crossover, which Kia is showing off at the Paris Motor Show this week, has a range of about 301 miles (for those who opt for the bigger battery pack) on the European WLTP combined testing cycle. The estimated EPA-range has yet to be released, but expect it to be lower, at somewhere around 250-ish miles in the U.S."


I am impressed with Kia's technical capabilities. Just wishing that we could have this car in India.

[volkman10]

Kia's second model a compact CUV that rivals Vitara Brezza , Tata Nexon , Ford EcoSport, etc. will debut at 2020 Auto Expo.



Will share parts with Hyundai's upcoming CUV - Qxi including engines.

The Kia compact SUV will share its underpinnings with the Hyundai QXi compact SUV, which is set to be launched in around March next year. While the Kia compact SUV will share many mechanical bits with the Hyundai QXi, it will get a completely different bodyshell.

Link

[Maveryq]

Kia Motors showed off some of the models that will be launched during a dealer plant visit.



Picture source: Nara Lokesh's twitter handle.

[fazonater1911]

I caught a Kia Picanto at Basaveshwar Nagar, Bangalore yesterday while waiting at a traffic signal. Sorry for the poor quality of the photograph. The driver drove off way too fast when he saw me clicking a photo.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Maveryq

Kia Motors showed off some of the models that will be launched during a dealer plant visit.

The sedan looks nice - with steeply angled windshield. Is it really that way or it's just the camera angle? Now a days cars have too upright windshield which I don't like.

When is the launch?

[hillram]

I whizzed past a massive Kia Plant near Anantapur, A.P (150 km from Bangalore) as we headed to a Kia sponsored Tennis event for my son.

Kia Sorento was displayed at the Tennis event and Kia officials told me that it was due for launch in 2019

There is a huge Korean Township being built close to this plant, I guess for the plant employees.

[manolin]

Picanto would be a fantastic India car - a smooth revving buzzy engine, I drove a rented one around Israel once, and loved the ease of use, small profile but space inside and the upmarket interiors.

[JS Kwt]

Kia Ceed GT Line - Test Drive

Kia's large hatchback is a possibility for India. Autocar's Test drive in one suggests it could be an interesting addition to our roads.

What is it?
The Ceed is to Kia what the Golf is to Volkswagen. That is to say, it's a large and very Euro-centric hatchback. Now in its third generation, the Ceed has helped establish Kia in Europe's fiercely competitive C segment. But how is it relevant to us in India, you ask? Well, what you see could be what you get. The Korean carmaker is seriously considering the large hatchback for India, perhaps for a 2020 launch. The model will not be a volume driver (Kia will assemble it from CKD kits, should it go on sale) but will be a brand builder. Kia believes that there is a market for a premium, sporty hatchback in India and that its target clientele will be open to the idea of spending executive sedan money on something like a Ceed. Kia executives had spoken of doing things differently in India and bringing in the Ceed sure suggests they're keeping their word.

What's it like on the outside?
At 4.6m in length, the Ceed is not only a full-size larger than the hatchbacks we're used to seeing in India, but it’s longer than our mid-size sedans too. The Kia is large, full-bodied and rather attractive. It's got a sporty stance to begin with, and the version likely for India will be the 'GT Line' that gets most of the visual upgrades that make it to the full-blown Ceed GT. Sporty bumpers, side skirts, sleek alloy wheels in wheel arch-filling sizes...the GT Line gets it all.

What's it like on the inside?
Let's make it clear from the get go. If you are a chauffeur-driven buyer, the Ceed isn’t the car for you. Sure, the back seat has adequate room but 'adequate' won't quite cut it for the lot who buy their cars to be driven in. This is a car for the owner-driver and it makes a far stronger impression for those occupying the front seats.

The driver-centric dashboard is smartly laid out, everything you touch feels premium and there's loads and loads of equipment too. Our test car had everything, from dual-zone climate control to heated seats. Ceeds can also be specced with Lane Keeping Assist, Smart Parking Assist and adaptive cruise control, among other tech aids.

The cabins on GT Line cars are all-black affairs, with smaller elements detailed in red. In all, it's a well-turned-out space that goes with the car's sporty exterior.

What's it like to drive?
It's still too early to deep-dive into the performance-related aspects of the Ceed, but it’s useful to know what engines it could come to India with. The Ceed's engine line-up includes a pair of turbocharged, direct-injection petrols – a 120hp 1.0-litre unit and a 140hp 1.4-litre unit – and a 1.6 turbo-diesel that's available in 115hp and 136hp states of tune.

A brief drive on unrestricted sections of the German autobahn in the more powerful of the diesels revealed the engine to be reasonably strong and refined. Irrelevant as the information may be in the India scheme of things, the Ceed got to speeds in excess of 160kph without much fuss. However, the bigger takeaway from the high-speed drive was the Ceed's stability and composure. It drives like a big German car – planted and confident. There's fine feel from the steering too, but then we didn't encounter any twisty roads to really put the Ceed's dynamics to the test.

Should I buy one?
It seems likely your wait for a large, premium hatchback will finally end with arrival of the Ceed. It's a smart and sophisticated hatchback that also impresses with its solid build and mature demeanour.
It's not a like-for-like alternative to an executive sedan but to some in India its appeal is down to exactly that; that there is nothing else like it.
For the few who want to break the norm and are open to the idea of a hatchback in the Rs 14-16 lakh (estimated, ex-showroom) price bracket, the Ceed could be an enticing choice indeed. Let's hope Kia gives it the green light for India.

LINK

KIA CEED SW Pics


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[giri1.8]

This stands on the fine line between estates and hatchbacks! Not sure how our market will respond, since size was the main idea of getting a hatchback in India.

Would be tempted to get one if they launch the 1.6 diesel in its most powerful state of tune.

P.S: it has large window for the boot too, surely this is an estate if I am not wrong.

[McLaren Rulez]

It has the advantage of being driven by many stars. It is also quite a reasonably priced car

Joking aside, I'd love something like this. Estates and large hatchbacks are an important "missing piece" in the Indian market and there's no reason why they wouldn't succeed if the S-Cross can.

[DicKy]

All talks about their mainstream models and small crossovers.

A different model that Kia could plan for India is the Soul.

Sure it's not a crossover or hatch. Something in between. Like a quasi compact MPV/crossover. Gawd..these new bodystyles.

This would be ideal like an upmarket WagonR kinda car.

Upright styling, usability and practical in nature. Heck, even slap some plastic claddings, crank up the ride height and call it an SUV for the Indian market. But...guess that's what they are already launching.

[DicKy]

Just like how Hyundai made the premium hatchback scene hot with the i20, hope KIA can replicate it too with the Ceed.

Though it's all crossovers now, guess the numbers that the Baleno/i20 are doing can be shifted upmarket. Around 15 lakhs would be the sweet spot. And since they can never claim the wretched sub 4m benefits, give them decent sized engines.

My selfish take- sucess of this will bring the others. The cool new Corolla, Golf, i30 (Ceed's cousin) , Focus (?), Civic(?). But guess except for the Golf and i30, others won't even bother.

[motorworks]

It looks like a station wagon! If Kia wants to build premium imagery through some CKD models, then this is not the car. Not really sporty or aspirational. And I don't think Kia is actually considering this. Autocar might have just wanted to cover a few pages in their monthly edition.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Just like how Hyundai made the premium hatchback scene hot with the i20, hope KIA can replicate it too with the Ceed.

Though it's all crossovers now, guess the numbers that the Baleno/i20 are doing can be shifted upmarket. Around 15 lakhs would be the sweet spot. And since they can never claim the wretched sub 4m benefits, give them decent sized engines.

My selfish take- sucess of this will bring the others. The cool new Corolla, Golf, i30 (Ceed's cousin) , Focus (?), Civic(?). But guess except for the Golf and i30, others won't even bother.

I cannot believe an I20 costs 10 odd lacs now! Incredibly overpriced!

Yes. It is all Crossovers and Pseudo SUV’s now.
But the market in India is slowly, but surely maturing. And there will be a place for a good sized, well designed, functional hatchback with a powerful engine, for sure, in the not too distant future.
As someone said there never has been a decent place in India for the lovely station wagon/ estate type car, but they are so superbly functional and “load-able” that I believe the new age, enlightened consumer in India, may well consider such a vehicle.

I do also sincerely hope that in the near future all these manufacturers are weaned away from making these horrible little “Cut Short” sedans..... you know the ones I mean...those horrid little hatches with half-boots tacked on the back...

That said, the Kia Cee’d from the pics here, looks a well proportionate large hatch of predominantly Euro inspired design. Looks very good indeed. Hope it comes with substance in terms of a good powerful engine, to match its handsome looks!